Why You Should Fall in Love With a Hufflepuff
by Umeko Tsumagoi
Summary: Hogwarts AU. How to cast a Patronus. Posted for Kuzuhina Week 2019.


**Notes: **So here's my last official offering for Kuzuhina Week this year! I really, really had wanted to update Waiting for Rainbows, but it didn't work out... I'll update the WFRainbows twitter about that later! But at the very least I wanted to get this up!

This is the same Hogwarts AU from my previous fics, "Where Time Has No Name" (recommended prior reading) and "Honey Brew" (not necessary to read, but go for it if you want). I also recommend reading chapters 19 and 20 (chapters 17 and 18 by FFN's count) of "Planetarium" before this fic for some other background.

Back when I first started planning this AU one of the first google results was a Pottermore article with the same title as this fic, which ultimately resulted in this story coming into existence! This has also sort of become the main fic for this AU, so I put a lot of time into it... I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Why You Should Fall in Love With a Hufflepuff**

"You realize that there are very few wizards who can successfully cast a Patronus." Kyosuke Munakata tapped his wand thoughtfully as he watched yet another feeble wisp of silver fade into nothingness. "While I admire your Slytherin tenacity, wouldn't it be better applied elsewhere? You have your O.W.L.s coming up in a few months. I don't understand why you're so focused on this particular spell."

Hajime ignored him and righted his stance. That's fine. Munakata didn't need to understand.

Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to push away all the frustration and focus on the positive emotions. _"Expecto patronum!"_

* * *

A fresh sheet of fluffy white snow greeted the morning of the February Hogsmeade trip, lending a calm, serene view to anyone looking out over the grounds. The gentleness was deceptive, however; it all obscured a footpath coated in ice, and compacted snow underfoot wasn't much kinder, amounting to a rather treacherous—albeit picturesque—trek for the students on their way down to the village.

"I mean, I don't mind you holding on to me like this," Hajime said, suppressing a laugh as Makoto gripped his sleeve tighter, "but are you sure you don't want me to cast that anti-skid charm on your boots, too?"

"No, it's fine." Makoto shook his head, his Hufflepuff scarf swaying with the movement. "I'm not _that_ clumsy. I can get down there by myself, without magic."

_I'm not sure this counts as "by yourself."_ Shrugging, Hajime said nothing and continued their walk.

"Hey, Makoto, Hajime!"

Just past the halfway point down the slope, Hajime heard a familiar voice from behind and only barely managed to keep himself righted as his youngest cousin lunged at them. Makoto, on the other hand, lost his footing and tumbled inelegantly into the snow, bringing his sister down with him.

"I'm not sure what you were trying to accomplish there, Komaru," Hajime called out as the Naegi siblings skidded a ways down the hill before stopping.

"Okay, so maybe I didn't really think that one through." Komaru sat up in the snow and brushed off the torso of her peacoat before standing up and offering her brother a hand. "Hey, so have either of you seen Toki?"

"Toko?" Makoto wobbled on his feet, whining softly as he tried to remove the snow from the hood of his sweatshirt before it could slip down his back. "I haven't seen her yet, but I'll ask Kyoko or Sayaka when I find them."

"Okay, good. I told her to meet up with me so we could strategize together..."

By this point, Hajime had managed to catch up with them and they began walking again. "Strategize about what?" he asked warily.

"That's a secret between us girls!" Komaru deflected, grinning. "More importantly, how are your Patronus classes going?"

Hajime made no effort to hide his grimace.

"Oh come on!" Komaru frowned up at him, hands on her hips. "Kyosuke's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts student Hogwarts has had in _years_, and I went out of my way to get him to tutor you! You better have _something_ to show for it!"

"I mean, I guess I'm getting there?" Hajime scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Gradually. Uh, _very_ gradually... I've managed something close to almost corporeal once or twice, but it always just goes downhill from there."

"Come to think of it, you still haven't explained why you wanted to learn that spell," Makoto pointed out, humming thoughtfully. "I mean, it's not like you're trying to become an Auror or anything, right?"

"No, but..." Hajime sighed; there was no reason to get annoyed with his own cousins for asking, but it was tiring to continually avoid the same question over and over. Word had spread quickly about Hajime receiving private Patronus lessons from the Head Boy of Gryffindor, and it seemed that everyone wanted to know why.

Hajime wasn't sure he wanted to tell _anyone_ the reason.

Just as he was struggling to figure out how to dodge the question without making the Naegi siblings intrigued enough to try deducing his actions further, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hey, Hajime!"

Standing at the base of one of the winged boar statues flanking the school gates was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, waving to get Hajime's attention. Grateful for the distraction, Hajime waved back and sprinted the last few paces to the bottom of the hill, Makoto and Komaru following suit.

"Guess you guys couldn't convince Chiaki to come out either, huh?" Fuyuhiko commented, his golden eyes quickly raking over the trio.

"Nope. 'Too cold. I'm staying in to play games. Bring me back a sugar mouse,'" Hajime recited, mimicking their friend's sleepy drawl. "Couldn't even get her to come out from under her covers."

Fuyuhiko shrugged. "She's probably happier that way, anyway. Honeydukes first, then?" He jerked a thumb behind him, towards the village beyond the gates. "You two can come along too, if you want."

"Oh, well if you don't mind—"

"I found the Ravenclaws!" Komaru suddenly shouted, cutting off her brother and yanking his elbow. "Come on, Makoto, let's go see what they're up to!"

"Oh, uh... okay?"

With a strange burst of urgency, Komaru tugged Makoto towards the other side of the gates, where a flash of silvery hair indicated that, yes, Komaru had located Kyoko Kirigiri and the other Ravenclaw girls. As she passed, Komaru shot Hajime a knowing look before continuing on their way.

Hajime wasn't sure what to make of that, but between the strangeness of her actions and the suddenness with which he found himself alone with Fuyuhiko, his nerve endings now seemed to be working on overdrive, leaving him jittery and feeling the winter chill even more acutely than before.

Abruptly, Hajime remembered the Yule Ball, and how _warm_ Fuyuhiko had been as they danced, and how nice it would be to seek that warmth right now— and that was an entirely unnecessary thought and he pushed it from his head as quickly as it had appeared.

"Uh... so Honeydukes, then?" he said; he couldn't trust his chilled lips to form any words beyond that.

Mercifully, Fuyuhiko simply nodded and fell into step beside him as they headed for the sweets shop.

* * *

Stopping by Honeydukes with Fuyuhiko had become sort of a continuing tradition since their first Hogsmeade trip in third year—after all, the Room of Requirement couldn't generate food, so they needed to restock their stash of snacks manually. Normally, Hajime wouldn't have really felt one way or another about such an ordinary pastime, but on this day in particular he found himself actively grateful for some practiced tedium to lose himself in. Just him and Fuyuhiko picking out sweets, nothing strange, nothing new. No unbidden thoughts about the Yule Ball, no questions about his Patronus classes—

"So it sounded like you guys were talking about your Patronus stuff?"

Hajime sighed, dropping his head to stare forlornly at the jar of sugar quills in his hands.

"Not going well, then?"

Hajime placed the quills back on the shelf, considering. Talking to Fuyuhiko about it... honestly wasn't as unappealing as it would be with most other people. "It's just that whenever I start making some sort of progress, I can't consistently replicate it, so I get frustrated and everything falls apart from there."

"That sucks." Fuyuhiko inspected a packet of acid pops appraisingly. "Gotta admit, though, I don't get why you're throwing yourself so seriously into learning this one charm."

"Everyone says that," Hajime said, laughing wryly. "Even Munakata."

"You haven't even told your own tutor the reason?"

He hadn't voiced his concerns to _anyone_ yet; it still felt silly, even to himself. Hajime shrugged uneasily, settling on, "There's just something I don't want to admit to myself."

"What, that you can't do it?" Fuyuhiko blinked up at him. "No one can do _everything_, you know. That's never bothered you before."

"It's not that..." Hajime paused, considering the options before him. Of course he had his reasons for wanting to learn the Patronus charm, but he didn't want to be laughed at for them, or worse, pitied for them. He had the feeling that most of his Housemates would default to the former, while his other friends, though well-meaning, would do the latter.

If it were Fuyuhiko, though... what would his reaction be?

He glanced around to make sure no one was listening in, took a deep breath, then spilled it out all at once. "I don't want to admit that I don't have any memories happy enough to conjure a Patronus."

"What?" Fuyuhiko's expression wasn't one of mockery, nor of pity; he simply looked perplexed. "No way. You don't have _any_?"

Hajime shrugged, a bit embarrassed. "I mean, it's not like all my memories are _unhappy _or anything. Not by a long shot. They're just... normal."

Fuyuhiko snorted in disbelief. "Come on, you've gotta have _something_. What about when you got your Hogwarts letter?"

"I tried that, but at the time it was more confusing than anything. I mean, I thought the letter was a prank until Komaru saw it in the bin..."

"You tried tossing your Hogwarts letter?!"

Hajime flushed indignantly. "I said I thought it was a prank!"

"Yeah, but still..." Fuyuhiko trailed off, his mouth shaped into a teasing grin. "Okay, so what else? Any good memories about that muggle sport you played as a kid?"

"Football? Nothing special really..."

"How about your first taste of real cannoli?"

"Now you're just trying to make it about yourself."

Fuyuhiko's mouth opened as if to answer with a witty retort, but it closed again, and his mouth twisted uncertainly, a mix of unreadable emotions crossing his face all at once. "N-no? Why would I..." His mutters lowered to inaudible levels and he averted his gaze, but just as Hajime leaned in to try to hear, Fuyuhiko stood up straight again, his tone clear and cheeks maybe just a touch redder than usual. "Well, if that's really the issue, then it should be a pretty easy fix."

Hajime cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "What do you mean?"

Fuyuhiko grinned. "All we have to do is make a happy memory for you, right?"

"_Make_ one...?" Hajime was taken aback. "What are you talking about? You can't just inorganically plan to make a happy memory like that..."

"And why not? You always hear people saying that the happiest day of their life is their wedding, and those things are planned as _fuck_."

"Uh..." Hajime had a feeling that weddings were a _bit_ different, but he couldn't find the words to argue. "I mean, I guess? It's worth a shot, at least."

"Right." Fuyuhiko clapped his hands together with finality. "So we're gonna make today the best day of your life so far!"

"Wait, _today_?!"

"Yeah, why not? It's the weekend, and we've got all day to hang out." He grinned up at Hajime devilishly. "Get ready, 'cause I'm gonna make sure you're treated like a king."

Hajime felt his entire body go warm, flushed all the way to the tips of his ears, and he had to look away from the bright intensity of Fuyuhiko's gaze lest he forget how to breathe. "But... why today? It's not like there's any special occasion or anything. It's just weird."

"Fine, then let's call it a belated birthday celebration," Fuyuhiko said, waving a hand dismissively. "I mean, I didn't get to be around for your birthday, because your dumb ass decided to be born during school holidays."

"I don't even know where to begin unpacking that one, mate..."

Fuyuhiko grinned. "Don't bother unpacking it, just go along with it. Sound good?"

Hajime sighed; when it came down to it, he didn't _actually_ have any reason to turn it down, he supposed. "Fine, I guess we can go ahead."

"Right. Let's hurry and finish up here, then." Fuyuhiko nodded to the collection of sweets that Hajime had settled on. "Want me to get those for you?"

Hajime clutched the cauldron cakes and chocolate wands tightly, flushing. "_No_, I can make my own purchases, thanks."

The boys quickly checked out of the store—or as quickly as they could in a candy shop packed with teenagers—and headed back outside.

"So, where to next?" Fuyuhiko asked as they exited Honeyduke's.

"Huh?" Hajime blinked owlishly before putting the pieces together. Right, if it was his day to do whatever he wanted, then he'd have to be the one making the decisions. That was a bit more pressure than what he had prepared himself for. "Um, let me think for a bit," he muttered.

"Sure, take your time." As Hajime mulled over his choices, Fuyuhiko leaned in and snatched the bag that Hajime was holding. "And I'll at least take that for you. Give yourself a break every once in a while."

Hajime's heart stuttered as he felt his cheeks warming slightly. "Seriously, that's not nece—"

"Spare me the humility, I'm carrying this for you and that's that."

"...Well, thanks, then." Hajime glanced furtively down High Street. "So, um... Actually, I've been thinking lately that I should probably look into some actual wizard fashion. All I have are muggle clothes besides my school robes, so..."

Fuyuhiko's face fell. "Seriously? We were in Italy over the summer, and _now_ you wanna go clothes shopping?"

"Like I said, I only thought of this recently. I mean, I even had to borrow robes for the Yule Ball."

"Shit, only the prissiest of high-class wizards actually _buy_ dress robes to keep on hand…" Fuyuhiko sighed, then shrugged as he readjusted the bag slung over his shoulder. "Well, whatever. Today's about doing what you want, so fine, we'll go to Gladrags."

Navigating the crowded streets to the store just a few doors down was a bit difficult, and Hajime tried not to take too much notice of the way he and Fuyuhiko kept bumping arms and brushing elbows as they made their way though. Finally, though they made it into Gladrags, which was apparently a less popular shopping destination, as there were far fewer people, giving them space to breathe.

"I'm just gonna be having you try on more casual or business robes, if you're okay with that," Fuyuhiko said as he shuffled through the store's selection. "Hey, how tall are you now?"

"Nearly five foot eight."

Fuyuhiko cursed under his breath. "Stop growing, will you? Give me some time to catch up." He pulled a parakeet green robe of appropriate length off the rack and frowned at the way he had to hold it above his head to keep it from dragging on the ground. "You can try this one on, I guess."

"And how about you?" Hajime asked cheekily as he accepted the robe.

"What about me?"

"Have you hit five foot yet?"

He was purposefully stepping on a landmine—just some friendly needling to see how Fuyuhiko would sputter and avoid the question. And at first, it looked like he would react exactly as expected, his cheeks and the tip of his nose turning an angry red, but then he paused and his mouth twisted into a grimace. "I— I'm getting there, okay?" he muttered, glancing to the side, giving the pink in his cheeks a more embarrassed hue.

_Whoa._ Hajime wasn't sure why that was the word that immediately came to mind, but there was something about the unexpected reaction that gave him an intriguing, fuzzy feeling inside—while also making him feel like something was _definitely_ off. "Uh, right," he said, then inhaled, feeling as if he were breathing through candy floss, and tried again. "I mean, uh, good. I'm... gonna go try these robes on, then." He ducked into the changing room, head spinning, and when he pulled the robes on he honestly couldn't tell if the pressure in his chest was from the fabric pulling too tight across his torso or... something else.

He balled his hand into a fist at his sternum, took a deep breath, and once he felt that he was somewhat grounded again he stepped back out of the fitting room.

"So, uh… how does it look?" he asked self-consciously, raising his arms a bit to allow a better view of the outfit.

Fuyuhiko looked him up and down, his mouth twisted into a frown as he considered his answer. "You look…" the smaller boy trailed off, and with an expression that made it look like he was nearly in pain, continued, "good. Uh, it looks good. I guess."

Honestly Hajime thought he looked ridiculous, so Fuyuhiko's response was pretty baffling—until suddenly it clicked, and Hajime's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait a second, you— are you purposefully saying nice things because you think it'll make me happier?"

Fuyuhiko's face flushed a bright scarlet. Bingo. "What— you think I'm not capable of saying nice things?!"

"Of course you can say nice things, I just can't see you saying _these specific_ nice things."

"What's the problem with what I'm saying?!"

"Fuyuhiko, look." Hajime placed his hands on his friend's shoulders—and the fabric was _definitely_ pulling too tight around his back and chest, even if the outfit _had_ looked good on him (and it didn't). "I appreciate you trying to make this the best day possible, but I don't want you to be cutting down on the snark to try to accomplish that. I mean," he laughed, "I don't even _want_ a 'happiest day' if it's one without your biting sarcasm."

Fuyuhiko's face grew even redder. "What— you—" He spluttered for a moment, before finally exclaiming, "_Fine_, you look like a reject leprechaun in those stupid robes, happy?!"

Hajime laughed harder. "That's more like it! Now, I think I'm gonna get changed and," he glanced at the seamstress witch at the edge of the store, who was giving them quite the stink-eye, "maybe we should get out of here and go somewhere else."

"Thank fuck," Fuyuhiko grumbled, shaking off Hajime's hands. "No point in getting you anything when you're still shooting up like a fucking weed, anyway."

Still laughing, Hajime returned to the fitting room to get changed and escape the store before they both got kicked out.

* * *

Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent walking along High Street and looking at the various storefronts. They made a stop into Scrivenshaft's for Hajime to buy some new quills and took a quick look around Zonko's Joke Shop, but otherwise they were content with window shopping until it felt like their toes were about to freeze off—at which point a warm drink was definitely in order.

"Ready for the Three Broomsticks?" Fuyuhiko asked, the shopping bags that he still insisted on carrying rustling as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

"I think that sounds good," Hajime agreed, his laughter coming out as a white fog. "Maybe we'll run into Peko or someone?"

"Sure. Or we could just sit by ourselves if we don't."

Hajime felt awfully warm around his neck, but he nodded stiffly as they turned into the pub.

The Three Broomsticks was predictably crowded, and stepping into the building immediately enveloped the boys with the din of white noise, but one shrill laugh cut like a knife through it all.

Fuyuhiko winced. "Well, I think we probably found Peko." He jabbed a thumb in the general direction of the laugh. "You wanna head over there, or should we run? Your call."

Hajime sighed. "I'm gonna run into her later anyway, and I'd rather have backup when I do. Let's get it over with now."

The two boys wove their way through the crowded pub, following the noise to a booth in the far corner of the building, where a group of Slytherin girls sat huddled around their butterbeers. One of them sat with her boots resting obnoxiously on the table, large blonde pigtails bobbing as she cackled madly at the newspaper in front of her.

"Yo, Enoshima," Fuyuhiko called as they approached the table. "What's so funny there?"

"Oh, hey boys!" The fourth-year grinned over her newspaper at them. "Man, have you seen the Daily Prophet today? This opinion piece is a _hoot_!"

"Oh yeah?" Knowing Junko Enoshima to have a questionable sense of humor at the best of times, Hajime glanced uneasily at the other girls, as if to silently ask, _is it really that funny?_ Peko only slightly inclined her head, while Mukuro Ikusaba next to her gave a slight shrug. Hiyoko Saionji ignored him completely. "Enlighten us, then. We haven't seen it."

Junko rolled her eyes. "Well read it for yourself if you don't believe me!" She shoved the paper into Hajime's hands, pointing to the relevant article with a manicured finger.

_Why You Should Fall in Love With a Hufflepuff_

...Oh.

Huh.

"I don't see what's so funny about this," Hajime said as he skimmed it. It didn't seem like anything special, just a topical fluff piece for the Valentine's season.

Junko's face instantly fell. "It's not funny. It's _wrong_."

"It's an _opinion_ piece, I don't see how it can be _wrong_."

Hiyoko sneered. "Oh, don't worry. No one was expecting the Mudblood Wonder to understand anyway."

If it had been anyone else, Hajime might have been offended, but as it was he simply sighed and flipped absently through the other articles.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, Hufflepuffs are _nice_ and all, right?" Junko wagged her finger in the air as she monologued. "Like, Makoto's a total peach. But they're just kinda _slow_, you know? I'd need someone who can keep up with me intellectually, and a Hufflepuff just won't do it for me. No offense, Fuyuhiko."

"None taken," Fuyuhiko muttered, but Hajime could tell from the set of his jaw that he took at least a _little_ bit of offense.

Feeling the need to say something in the article's defense, Hajime turned back to the right page. "I don't really see anything wrong with this, though? I mean, it's just pointing out the desirable traits you can find in a Hufflepuff. Loyal, doting, just, understanding... It has a point, right? I'd date a Hufflepuff."

Hajime knew he had messed up when Junko's gaze took on an absolutely predatory glare. "Oho? You _would_, would you?"

Hiyoko scowled. "What, don't tell me you'd actually go for someone like pig barf?"

"There's nothing wrong with Mikan," he said slowly, diplomatically. "But, uh, no, I was thinking more like—"

_Fuyuhiko._

The name dried up in Hajime's throat before he could think of bringing it to his lips.

What?

Why was _Fuyuhiko_ the first one to come to mind?

"Well, Hinata?" Peko chose that moment to speak up, the slightest hint of mirth in her crimson eyes. "More like whom?"

Hajime gaped like a fish out of water, feeling his cheeks warm as the girls stared. "I, uh..."

Junko barked out a laugh. "Oh, come on, it's obviously Chiaki, right?!" A wide, gremlin-like grin stretched across her face. "There's no reason to be acting like it's some big _mystery_, Hajime."

Through the confusion swirling in his mind, Hajime was pierced by the realization that this was Junko Enoshima. She was _playing_ with him, she _knew_ what he had been thinking.

A natural-born Legilimens with little regard for others' privacy was a scary thing indeed.

"Uh, right," he said uneasily, choosing to take the out at face value—then his heart leapt into his throat when he realized what he had admitted to, and his gaze jumped to Fuyuhiko, worried about how he would react. However, the small Hufflepuff was just scowling as if he couldn't be less interested in the topic of conversation.

"Yeah, so, can we sit down and get something to drink already?" He shoved Hajime lightly, urging him to sit down in the booth. "My feet are killing me."

"Right, yeah." Hajime quickly took a seat, choosing to scoot onto the end occupied by Peko instead of Junko, and tried to calm his whirling thoughts as Fuyuhiko sat down next to him.

Of course Fuyuhiko wouldn't be upset or even surprised if Hajime wanted to date Chiaki. It was just so natural, such an obvious conclusion to come to.

It was so obvious that Hajime didn't know why it wasn't true.

He took a deep breath, covered the lower half of his face with his hands, and tried to ignore the comforting but too-distracting warmth from the boy on his left pressing into his thigh as he buried himself in his thoughts, blocking out all other chatter surrounding him. Did he... _want_ to date Fuyuhiko?

He could feel his ears flaring up even as he thought it.

Dating Fuyuhiko would be... it would be... Well, Hajime had never dated _anyone_ before, so it wasn't like he had any meaningful point of reference. But the fact of the matter was that he genuinely enjoyed being with the other boy, and it was a treat to have an opportunity to be together outside of school, like they had been that day, and—

Had that been a date?

Hajime's head reeled as he ran back over his memories of the day. Shopping, laughing, joking, _being doted upon_... Had he been on a date with Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu _without even realizing it_?!

He shook his head fervently, and he could feel Fuyuhiko's confused eyes boring into him on the edges of his concentration, but he pushed it aside. No, no, they had just been hanging out, that was all.

But if that was what a date with Fuyuhiko _would_ be like... well, he certainly wouldn't mind.

Abruptly he remembered the Yule Ball, and _those_ memories compounded on everything else were almost too much to bear. If a date with Fuyuhiko, a _real_ date with Fuyuhiko, also included that physical contact, that sweet, companionable warmth, hand to hand, skin to skin, or even—

Hajime's breath caught in his throat, and he ejected himself from his thoughts, scooting himself to the right to separate himself from Fuyuhiko was best as possible.

"Hinata?!" Peko whispered in surprise, which was an understandable reaction, really, to Hajime nearly ending up half in her lap.

But the degree to which he _really wanted that with Fuyuhiko_... the force of that desire, now that he had realized it, was overpowering. It was terrifying.

"What's your problem, weirdo?" Hiyoko sneered.

Junko, however, laughed. "Aww, leave him be," she chided, her grin wide and eyes dancing. "He clearly has a _lot_ on his mind right now."

Enraged, humiliated, Hajime shot the sharpest glare he could manage in her direction. _Fuck off, Junko Enoshima._

Her grin grew nearly all the way to her ears in response to the barbed hostility, and Hajime thought his face very well might just burn off. God, why hadn't he asked Munakata to tutor him in Occlumency instead?!

"Hey," Fuyuhiko hissed under his breath, and Hajime wasn't sure he trusted himself to even look at the other boy right then, but he forced himself to try. "You alright? You haven't even touched your butterbeer."

Hajime hadn't even noticed the drink being placed in front of him, but now as he stared at the pint of foaming beverage, he couldn't imagine consuming something so sweet on top of all the saccharine emotions roiling inside of him without promptly vomiting. "I... don't have much of an appetite, sorry," he confessed. "Just, uh, worried about... Patronus stuff."

Fuyuhiko's golden eyes softened with understanding, and Hajime immediately felt guilty—because that's how Fuyuhiko _was_, and there were so many things Hajime would gladly confide in him before anyone else—he just wasn't confident that Fuyuhiko would be understanding of _this_ particular issue.

"You can have mine," Hajime muttered, pushing the pint towards Fuyuhiko, "I think I'm just going to head back to the castle now, if that's okay."

"Yeah, sure."

Fuyuhiko moved out of the booth to give Hajime room to leave, and he extricated himself from the table, giving the girls some excuse about going back to practice the Patronus charm as he pointedly ignored Junko's stare.

"Hey," Fuyuhiko whispered as he handed over Hajime's bags. "I know Enoshima's kind of a drag, but I hope the rest of the day wasn't too bad?"

Hajime's heart fluttered. "No," he said automatically, earnestly, and he couldn't help but smile. "It was really fun. Thanks, Fuyuhiko."

* * *

In the end, the memory of that day in Hogsmeade didn't conjure a Patronus.

What did instead was buttery warm lighting, echoes of a distant Quidditch game, and a small, perplexed boy, framed by the open doorway to the Room of Requirement.

It probably wouldn't have worked for the charm previously, but with the newfound context, it became the memory of Hajime's first meeting with the person who understood him in ways that no one else did.

It became the memory of when Hajime began to fall in love.

Hajime watched in awe as the silvery wildcat stalked about the room, brushing against his legs as it passed (though Hajime felt nothing), and Munakata nodded appraisingly.

"Well done," he said. "Now that you've accomplished this, replicating the same results in the future should be relatively simple. Just remember how you felt when you cast the spell this time."

"Right," Hajime responded. He couldn't take his eyes off the wildcat; he could still hardly believe that he had finally managed to create a corporeal Patronus.

After a few moments, Hajime realized that Munakata couldn't seem to stop watching the cat either; furthermore, the Head Boy's brows were furrowed in a pensive frown.

"What is it?" Hajime asked. "Is something wrong?"

Munakata exhaled through his nose. "There's nothing... wrong, no. It's just..." He crossed his arms, tapping an index finger against his upper arm. "During your previous attempts when you had come close to producing _something_ corporeal, it had seemed that your Patronus would be... something different. I had thought that it would be a large dog of some sort, or perhaps a wolf. Certainly not something as small as this." After a moment of further contemplation, he shrugged. "But that's of little concern. You never can tell what a Patronus will be before it fully manifests, after all."

"Ah... right," Hajime agreed uneasily, even as he felt his face beginning to burn to the tips of his ears.

He wasn't ignorant, after all. He'd done his reading; he knew full well the reasons for a Patronus changing form.

And he _definitely_ didn't need to ask around the school to figure out whose Patronus would be a wildcat.

* * *

**Notes:** It took me a good while to decide what Kuzuryu's Patronus would be; my first thought was a dragon (from "ryu" in "Kuzuryu") but it just didn't feel right to be giving characters such rare/legendary Patronuses. Pottermore assigned him a field mouse which, while hilariously fitting, I decided to veto in favor of my tendency to associate the guy with felines, heh.

Hinata's original Patronus, as Munakata said, was something canine. My original thought was a wolf, since fanartists seem to have collectively decided that his Halloween costume is always a werewolf and I am totally on board with that. Pottermore gave him a Newfoundland, though, which I also love—so I just can't decide! It doesn't matter anymore anyway!


End file.
